Kentucky Governor Forms Policy Office to Fight Drugs

Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher has created a new Office of Drug Control Policy that will coordinate the state's efforts to combat drug misuse, which Fletcher defined as being at "epidemic proportions," the Associated Press reported Aug. 26.

Sylvia Lovely, the executive director of the Kentucky League of Cities, was appointed the temporary head of the new office.

"What has been done in this state to address this issue in the past has not produced the necessary results," Fletcher said. "It is not enough for us to be tough on the substance-abuse problem. We must become effective."

The office will be in charge of implementing recommendations from the "Statewide Drug Control Assessment Summit 2004." They include adding more drug treatment programs statewide. Fletcher added that other efforts would include education, prevention, and law enforcement.

"We have to realize that this is greater than a law-enforcement problem," Fletcher said. "We're going to treat it like an epidemic."

Fletcher said the office would be funded through federal grants and existing money in the state budget.

Source: www.jointogether.org